Separator foot for press feeders



May 22, 1923.

1,456,225 J. G. DlxQN SEPARATOR FOOT FOR PRESS FEEDERS Filed Jan. 2l, 1922 Patented May 22, 1923.

UNITE@ STAIRS rasant Parent -rrres JOHN G. DIXON7 or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALF 'ro GUSTAVE T.

I-IULTMAN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEPARATOR FOOT FOR PRESS FEEDERS.

Application filed January 21, 1922. Serial No. 530,760;

T0 all ywhom t may concern.' y

Be it known thatI, JOHN G. DIXON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the ycounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Separator' Feet for Press Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

This-invention relates to devices known as separator feet employed on press feeders for printing machines to pick up successive sheets of paper from a pile on the suction principle and deliver each sheet, as itis raised and separated from the pile, to the paper feed mechanism of the press feeder. In common practice a group of three feet are attached to a single horizontal bar for picking up a sheet of paper, and heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been necessary to change the feet with varying kinds of stock. That is to say, different kinds of 4paper stock, varying in weight have heretofore required a numberof dierent separator feet to handle them properly and especially to avoid picking up more than one sheet at a time; the different separator feet being formed with suction cups or areas of various sizes and shapes best suited to adapt each foot to particular kinds or grades of paper.

The changing of these feet involves some time and labor, and maintaining-in lstock a variety of feet required to handle all grades of papier involves considerable expense.

The main object of my present invention is to provide a separator foot with an attachment in the general nature of a suction adjusting device on the sole of the foot itself whereby the latter may be readily adjusted to present varying extents of suction area and be thereby adapted tohandle various stocks of paper. In its preferred form, this suction controlling device consists of a flat strip or plate slidably mounted on and across the sole of the foot and readily adjustable by a simple sliding movement to more or less cover and uncover the suction area of the sole. i

My invention, its manner of use, and its inherent advantages will be readily understood and appreciated by persons skilled in the art as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing inwhich I have illustrated a practical and improved embodiment ofthe invention, in association with a well known type and structure of separator foot, and wherein- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a. separator foot and a portion of the separator bar on which the foot is detachably mounted;

Fig. Q is a'front elevation of the same, as viewed fromthe lowerside of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, in cross section through the bar;

Figa is a bottom plan view showing the suction adjusting` slide fully retracted and in idle position; a v

Fig.v 5 is aview similar toFig. 4, but showing the suction adjusting slide in an advanced/position wherein the larger part of the suction area of the sole is o'ccluded;

Fig. 6 in erosssection on the line 6 6 of Fig.

Referring to the drawings, 7 designates a horizontal bar forming a part of the separator mechanism, the same being vertically reciprocated toward and from a pile or stack of sheets, and usually carrying a group of three spaced separator feet. Since my present improvement concerns the foot only, I haveherein shown only the central foot of the group. This foot is a well known device at` present extensively used on automatic job press feeders, and, briefly described, comprises a metal body 8 formed .with a transverse channel 9 which fits the bar 7, and with a.' pivoted latch 10 adapted to swing over the bar 7 to removably lock-the separator foot on the bar. In the body 8 is an air chamber 11, indicated `by dotted lines in Fig. Q., which chamber communicates with a source of suctionl through ducts 12, nipples 13 and hose 14. 15 designates the sole of the foot. This is. approximately flat, with the exception that its forward portion is slightly concaved or arched, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 6'. In this forward portion of the sole is formed a shallow suction cup 16 that communicates with the chamber 11 through a series of ports 17, herein shown as three in number. The bottom of the cup 16 is usually provided with a group of uniformly spaced small studs 18 designed to distribute the suction effect through the entire area of the cup when the foot is engaged with a sheet of paper. i

Referring now to those features wherein my present invention more particularly re-` sides, 19 designates athin flat strip of sheet metal, preferably copper or brass, having approximately half the area ot the sole of the Jfoot and extending across the latter from side to side. The ends ot the strip 19 are bent upwardly and inwardly as shown at 2O into` sliding engagement with grooves 21 formed in the opposite edges of the sole, whereby the strip is locked on the sole with tapacity for free sliding movement between the front and rear edges ot the sole.

Briefly describing the manner of use, when the toot is used for the particular stock for which it was designed, the strip 19 is retracted over the rear half of the sole. as shown in F ig. 4f, in which position it is idle and does not influence the suction etfect of the toot on the stock. lVhen, however, the job is changed and a much lighter and thinner stock, requiring a correspondingly decreased suction in order to sepa-rate the sheets one at a time, is substituted, the strip 19 is advanced by a `simple thrust of the thumb or linger of the operator to more or less cover the suction cup 16 and thereby reduce the area orn the suction opening, as shown, for instance, in Figs. 5 and 6. Similarly, for other intermediate grades of stock, the slide 19 is adjusted to positions intermediate those shown in Figs. t and 5. By a little experimenting, the correct position of the slide to handle any given stock may be readily ascertained.

To illustrate the nature of my invention and its mode of manipulation I have herein shown the same associated with but a single type and structure of separator foot. There are many specifically ditl'erent separator reet employed on press feeders, all having, however, a generally rectangular sole, but different. suction cups or areas and diii'erent numbers of suction ports corresponding to the ports 17. To all of these, however, my present improvement is equally adapted, since it operates upon the principle of adjusting the extent or amount of suction area on the sole ot the foot, regardless of specific differences in the structure forming the suction area.

I claim* 1. The combination with a vertically reciprccable separator foot of the character described, of means carried by said foot `for adjusting the extent ot' the suction area in the sole thereof.

2. The combination with a separator toot having a suction cup in the sole thereof', of means mounted on said foot and adjustable thereon to cover and uncover said suction cup to any desired or predetermined extent.

3. The combination with a separator foot having a suction opening extending through the sole thereof, of means slidably mounted on said toot and serving to cover and uncover said suction opening to any desired or predetermined extent.

4. The combination with a separator toot having a suction opening extending through the sole thereof, of a flat thin metal strip slidably mounted on said sole and movable across said suction opening to more or less cover and uncover the latter.-

5. The combination with a separator foot having a shallow cup in the sole thereof and a suction opening communicating with said cup, of a flat thin metal strip slidably mount-ed on said sole and movable across said cup to increase or decrease the area of the latter.

6. The combination with a rectangular separator toot having longitudinal grooves in opposite edges thereof and a suction opening through the sole thereof, of a flat `thin metal strip extending across the sole with inturned flanges on its ends slidably engaged with said grooves, said strip adapted by an edgewise sliding movement to more or less cover and uncover said suction opening.

7. The combination with a rectangular separator foot having longitudinal grooves in opposite edges thereof, a shallow vcup in the sole thereof, and a suction opening communicatingwith said cup, of a flat thin metal strip extending across the sole with inturned flanges on its ends slidabl'v engaged with said grooves, said strip adapted by an edgewise sliding movement to vary the suction area of said cup to any desired or predetermined extent.

JOHN G. DIXON. 

